Towing-pole.



l. A. WEAVER.

TowlNG PQLE.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY19|1915 Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHED.' l.

l. A. WEAVER.

Towm POLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9, 19,15.

2 SNEETS--SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES. PATENT. OFFICE.

.mA AjwnAVER, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'ro WEAVERMANUFACTURING co., or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

TOWING--POLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

" To 'whom #may concern:

Be it'known that I, IRA A. WEAVER, a citi- `z en of the United States,and resident of Springfield, in the county of Sangainon and if" Vtate ofIllinois, have invented certain new and.' useful Improvements inTowing-Poles,

. ofl which the following` is a specication.

"My invention relates to towing means for automobiles and has particularreference to "10.a' novel construction of a towing pole.-

Itl is common practice to employ a rope or -Ycable for towing disabledautomobiles, but I,there are many objections to the use of a flexibleconnecting element, particularly in a city where traic is more or lesscongested.

If ashort towing element is employed, the towed machine is likely tocollide with the .rearocf the machine in front. If the towing elementbelong, pedestrians are likely to v attempt to pass between the twomachines A and be injured by tripping on the cable. Furthermore, in theuse of a exible towing 'element the connected machines are subject toconsiderable shock, due to the fact that 25` their speed of travel cannot be uniform.

This vresults injerking and the frequent breakage of the towing rope orof the parts Aof the machines to which the rope is connected. I haveconceived the idea of em- 80 ploying a substantially rigid connectionbetweenthe adjacent machines to the end that the shocks occasioned bythe use of a flexible element may be eliminated. I have constructed adevice with provision for limited relative movement of the parts andhave provided a cushion element therebetween, thnseliminating all shocksof starting and stopping. The advantage in the use of a device of thissort is in that a disabled machine sometimes has its brakes impaired ordestroyed. If a flexible towing element be used, it then becomesnecessary to provide a third machine at the rear of the disabledmachine. By the use of my novel device a machine without brakes may betowed with ease.

My invention also contemplates the employment of novel attaching devicesbetween the pole and the machmes to which it is con- 5() nected.

Other objects will beapparent to those skilled in the art by referenceto the accomanying drawings, in lwhich like numbers indicate like partsin all the figures.

Figure 1 shows the preferred form of towing pole as applied ,to twoautomobiles and also shows the application of the attaching clamp;

Fig. 2-shows theattaching clamp' as` applied to the front end of theautomobile frame;

` Fig. 3 is a top view showing the'assembly of the' several parts of thepole. 'ip- The spring is partially cut away to show ,aslot;

. Fig. 4 is a side view, partially in section, 65 showing the eyes ateach end'of the pole, the telescoping portions, and means for connectingthe same;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Flg. 4; 70

Fig. G'is av view of a fragmentary portion of spring with the clampfastened thereon,

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig,

6 showing a means of fasteningthe clamp to 75 the spring. In thepreferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, Ihave shown the pole as composed of three sections,

11, 13 and 14, of tubular form. Members 80 13 and 14 are adapted totelescope within the member 11. Fastened to one end of the body 11 is ayoke 1'5, the portion 13 being slidably mounted n the other end of yoke15. Member 14 is connected to body 11 by 85 means vof a pin 16. Saidmember 14 is provided with several apertures 17 to adjust same inwardlyor outwardly of the end of body 11.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen the member 13 extends into body 11beyond the 90 connection between said body 11 and yoke 15. A slot 18isprovided in member 13, as best seen in Fig. 3. A coil spring 21 isplaced around member 13 within yoke 15., L-shaped keys 19 are placed insaid member 95 13 so that they rest on the bottom thereof and extendthrough slot 18. Projections 20 extend upwardly and are adapted to bearagainst the inside ends of yoke 15 and the ends of spring 21. The keys19 are of suiiicient length to extend under several colls of spring 21.

Loops 22 are provided at the outer ends of members 13 and 14 and areprovided with 'two openings 23 and 24.

The preferred form of clamp is best shown in Figs.. 2, 6 and 7 andcomprises side members 25 and 26 held together on spring 27 by bolts 28and 28a. Bolts 28L aremounted in a slot 29 in the sides 25 and 26 topermit `110 los the clamps being applied to springs` of dif'- ferentsize and also to parts of the frame.

`A set screw 30 is provided and is adapted to bear against bolt 2Sn tohold the same. rmly against the top of the spring 27. An upstanding boss31 is integral with, or attached to, one of the side pieces of theclamp. In the drawings it 'is integral with side 25, The loops 22 of thepole 10 are hooked over the bosses 31 after the clamps have been securedto the automobile and form the pulling grips. The eye 23 is adapted tofit over boss 31 and held thereon by washer 32 and screw cap 33. It willbe noted that each of the side pieces 25, 26 is provided with a pointedlateral projection 3l, 35, adapted to engage between the two lowerleaves of the spring and to wedge the same apart slightly. This assistsin holding the clamp in position, giving ay certain resiliency to theclamping action of the said bolt 30. The action of these projections onthe springs'is well illustrated in Fig. 6.

If not desired to attach the clamps tosome part of the automobile, thepole 10 may be fastened by ropes through the eyes 24 of the loops 22. sf

The operation of the towing pole is as follows: Machine B, beingdisabled, is to be towed to vsome shop for repairs. A represents theautomobile which will tow B. Having applied the clamps and attached thepole 10 thereto'on bosses 31` machine A is started. Member 13 is moved,thus moving the key19 at the farther end of the'yoke in the slot 18,thus compressing spring 21. This imparts motion to yoke 15 andconsequently through body 11, pin 16 to member 14, which is attached tomachine B, thereby starting B without jerking. When stopping, thereverse action occurs in spring 21 any key 19, thus eliminating shock.Also in descending hills the jars will be cushioned by the spring 21.

"L do not limit my invention to' the exact structure disclosed anddescribed.l but consider any substantially vrigid Connection providedwith cushioning means and means for attachment to any part of a vehicleor vehicles and further provided with means for increasing or decreasingthe length of said pole as coming within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

I claim:

1. In an attaching device for towing means, the combination of sidesections having apertures, one of which is in the form of a slot, screwmeans located in said apertures and adapted to clamp said side sectionsontoV a portion of an automobile, and additional screw means acting uponthe screw means in said slotted aperture', substantially as described.

2. In an attaching device, the combination of side members, each thereofhaving a plurality of apertures, one of said apertures being in the formof a slot, bolts engaging said side members through said apertures, andan additional bolt occupying said slottedaperture, substantially asdescribed.y

3. A unitary towing device, comprising in combination two tubularmembers in*endtoend relation, a third tubular member within which theends of said first two tubular members telescope, a shock-absorbingspring car ried by one of said tubular members, and a removable pinconnecting said third ytubular member and one of said first mentionedtubular members, said pin providing for relative longitudinal adjustmentof said tubular members.

Signed at Springfield, Illinois, this 15th day of July, 1915.

IRA A. WEMTER.A

